Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS
- The SonyFE 600mm f/4 GM OSS is a prime lens for Full Frame (FF) format, compatible with Sony Ξ± FF and APS-C mirrorless cameras.
- This lens is available exclusively in the Sony E mount.
- The lens is filterable with 40,5mm drop-in filters (to be placed in a dedicated housing in the back of the lens), there is the image stabilization and the focus takes place via AF Motor (x2 Linear Motor XD).
- The lens is in production (since 2019 - today).
- Price range*: $$$$
- Equivalences**: a 600mm f/4,0 mounted on a Full Frame camera will remain so, mounted on a Sony APS-C camera it will have a field of view, a Depth of Field and a "out of focus portion" of the image roughly equivalent to that of a 918mm f/6,1 lens on Full Frame.
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*Price range - legend: $: <400$ | $$: 400$ - 1000$ | $$$: 1000$ - 2000$ | $$$$: +2000$
**Equivalences - explanation: the concepts of "equivalent focal length" and "equivalent aperture" were born with the aim of allowing similar photos to be taken (in terms of framing and Depth of Field) with two cameras with sensors of different sizes without changing the distance from the subject (otherwise the perspective would also change) and placing the Full Frame format as a reference in the equivalence. The "equivalent focal length" helps the photographer to understand what field of view it will have (i.e. what the lens + camera combination can see and capture) and consequently what is the equivalent angle of view. The "equivalent aperture" helps the photographer to understand the equivalent Depth of Field (DoF) and how much "out of focus portion" the image will have. The equivalent "mm" are obtained by multiplying the focal length by the crop factor of the camera used [SONY APS-C: 1.53x] and in a similar way the equivalent "f/" aperture is calculated. It is important to remember that a lens NEVER changes its physical characteristics, a 600mm f/4 always remains a 600mm f/4, regardless of whether it is mounted on Full Frame, APS-C, Medium Format and so on. ONLY the field of view changes. Exposure is also independent of the sensor format, so regardless of the sensor format of the camera on which the lens is mounted (as long as the lens can be mounted on multiple formats), with the same aperture, the shutter speed and ISO will also be the same.
Specifications
COMPATIBLE MOUNT
Sony E
Focal length | Angle of view
600mm | 4Β°
Format
FF
Maximum aperture | Minimum aperture
f/4 | f/22
Aperture
11 blades
Minimum focusing distance
4,5 m (14.76 ft)
Maximum magnification | Reproduction Ratio
0,14x | RR 1:7,1
Image stabilizer
Yes
Focus
AF Motor (x2 Linear Motor XD)
Filter diameter
Γ40,5mm drop-in filter
Optical construction
24 elements in 18 groups
Type
Prime lens
Weather sealing
Yes
Lens hood
Supplied
Tripod ring
Yes
Extenders
Supported
Weight | Dimensions (diameter x length)
6.7 lb | Γ6.46β³ x 17.68β³
Other features
- Focus mode switch AF-MF
- "FULL TIME DMF" ON/OFF switch, for constant DFM (Direct Manual Focus), if set on ON by rotating the focusing ring, manual focus is automatically enabled, even if in AF-C mode
- 3 focus range limitations: FULL range | 0.5m-β | 15m-0.5m. The center option limits the focus range from 15m to 4.5m thus losing the focus at infinity (β)
- Full-time manual focus: The lens can be focused manually even when in autofocus mode and works in both AF-S and AF-C [There are, however, the following limitations: Manual focusing using a focus-by-wire system, for this to work the camera must be turned on and the "FULL TIME DMF" setting must be activated by setting the switch on the lens barrel to "ON". For burst shooting the camera may be forced to switch to a lower burst speed, e.g. "Continuous Shooting: Lo" instead of "Hi" or "Hi+".]
- Focus-lock Button on the lens body (x4). Button's default function is the focus-lock, but it can be changed with another function based on the camera used
- Function ring with dual use: recall the preset of the focus distance previously stored (set the selector of the function ring on "PRESET") / perform a specific function, such as the "Power Focus" that allows you to change the focus in a fluid way (useful for video) (set the selector of the function ring on "FUNCTION")
- 1 preset of the focus distance can be memorized, slide the selector of the function ring on "PRESET", perform the focus with the lens on the distance you want to store, press the "SET" button
- "BEEP" OFF/ON switch to deactivate/activate the beep sound for when you store/recall the preset of the focus distance
- ON-OFF optical stabilizer switch
- 3 Image stabilization [OSS] mode selections,Optical SteadyShot, (MODE1: Standard | MODE2: Panning | Mode3: Like the Standard but designed specifically for photographing rapid and irregular movements)
- It is possible to deactivate the noise of the shot that indicates the positioning when the tripod support ring is rotated 90Β°. Open the lid on the tripod support and rotate the selector with a screwdriver to do it
MTF chart
The MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) chart is useful for having an objective representation of the contrast and resolution of a lens from the center to the edges compared to an ideal system. Click on the link to view it:
ππ
(remember that for Sony the MTF curves are calculated both at full aperture and at f/8)
Video-reviews and Reviews
For obvious reasons this is just a selection of the main and most significant video reviews and reviews available online for the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS.
If you are interested in this lens, I invite you to find out more by reading the reviews in full / watching the video reviews on the websites / YouTube channels of the respective creators linked here:
Review 1
(Accurate and complete review of the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS, with numerous product photos and with the possibility of comparison with other similar lenses)
Review 2
(Detailed and well-structured analysis, with samples of the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS)
Review 3
(Well-structured analysis with samples of the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS)
Review 4
(Another well-structured analysis with samples of the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS)
Notes:
- Always view / read reviews with a critical attitude, remembering that the various evaluations must be parameterized with each other by the date the lens was tested and with which camera the lens was reviewed. A 20-year-old lens considered excellent on today's dense sensors will probably still be very good, but it is equally likely that in terms of contrast and resolution it has now been surpassed by more modern lenses.
- Reviews, although really useful for getting a general idea of ββa lens without ever having tried it directly, are not an exact science. If you just look at the numbers and the negatives there are some lenses that with all their flaws appear to be pure rubbish. Some are actually really poor, but for others there may be precise design choices behind them to obtain a certain rendering of the blur or performance / size ratio otherwise impossible to have if the lens were perfectly corrected for vignetting, distortion, Chromatic Aberration, Spherical Aberration, astigmatism and so on.
- The good intention is to keep all the links working, but if that is not the case I thank those who will report the broken ones. Everything on the web is by its nature not lasting. Modifications and deletions of contents are not rare and especially for the older lenses, a lot of history is being lost. Thanks for the collaboration! :)
PROS and CONS
Brief summary of the main PROS (β
) and the related CONS (β) for the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS highlighted in the various video-reviews and online reviews:
β
PROS
Really excellent overall image quality as well as build, with a quick and quiet autofocus motor, an efficient image stabilizer and an incredible bokeh
β CONS
Demanding dimensions, weight and price
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*Important note: most mirrorless lenses are designed to be "helped" via software with "lens corrections" (applicable directly in the camera and/or post-production software, e.g. Adobe Lightroom), it is not really a cons, but it's good to know. The function completely corrects or, if it is not possible, only partially: vignetting, distortion, CA (Chromatic Aberration), ...